Dover, DE (September 29, 2013) – As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season begins to wind down, Casey Mears and his GEICO team were anxious to get to Dover, Delaware, to play a home game of sorts. With GEICO’s corporate office located a short 100-miles from the speedway, the Germain Racing team feels a sense of pride when they race in the Gecko’s backyard.

Consistency was the word of the weekend, as Mears was 26th in the opening practice, 27th in the second practice and 24th in final practice. In qualifying on Friday afternoon, Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion toured the one-mile concrete oval in just 22.697-seconds, landing him 26th on Sunday’s starting grid.

While the two previous weekends featured rain in the raceday forecast, Sunday in Dover saw 70-degree temperatures and bright sunshine as the green flag got the race underway. 400-miles of racing at the high-banked Monster Mile can be a daunting task, but Mears and his GEICO team remained focused on continuing their run of solid finishes. Mears started out strong and was sitting in 27th place when a debris caution slowed the field on lap 36. “It’s really tight through the center and all the way off. The biggest thing slowing me down is waiting for the frontend through the center,” Mears said to crew chief Bootie Barker under caution. The Germain Racing pit crew made quick changes and returned the #13 GEICO Fusion to the racetrack two spots to the good in 25th.

As the race wore on, Mears would work his way into the top 15 before a scheduled green flag pit stop sent his GEICO machine down pit road on lap 115. The GEICO crew continued working on the car and on lap 160, the Bakersfield, CA, native informed Barker that his car was improving: “I have more grip than on my previous runs.” As the race grew closer to the checkered flag, teams were stretching out their runs as long as possible, hoping they would need only a single pit stop to complete the event. As Mears was approaching his pit window, he was riding solidly in the 23rd position when his car lost fuel pressure on lap 311 of 400. Fortunately, he was able to work his way to pit road where he was quickly refreshed with tires and much needed Sunoco racing fuel. The pit crew once again made quick work of Mears, as they lost just two positions while pitting under green. Despite the setback, Mears and his #13 GEICO Ford Fusion crossed the finish line in the 24th position and scored the team’s 18th top 25 of the 2013 season.

“The guys did a good job working on our GEICO Ford Fusion and getting me on and off of pit road today,” Mears said. “It’s nice to get another solid finish as we try to end the season on a strong note. I am proud of everyone on this GEICO team and look forward to getting to Kansas and finishing what we started there in April.”

Just seven races remain on the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series calendar. Next week will find the GEICO team in the Sunflower State of Kansas, where David Gilliland collected Mears on lap 183 of April’s STP 400. Mears was enjoying a solid, top 20 run before finding himself in the garage. The Germain Racing team looks forward to returning to the track and turning in a much-deserved good finish.

Casey Mears and the #13 GEICO Ford Fusion will hit the track at Kansas Speedway for the weekend’s opening practice session on Friday, October 4th, at 12:30 PM (EDT). Qualifying will follow at 5:10 PM (EDT).

The Hollywood Casino 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is on Sunday, October 6th, and it will be televised live on ESPN beginning at 2:00 PM (EDT). The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will carry the live radio broadcast.

To learn more about the GEICO Racing program, please visit: www.caseymearsracing.com

You can also follow GEICO Racing on Twitter: www.twitter.com/geicoracing

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About Germain Racing

Germain Racing team owner Bob Germain Jr. is passionate about racing in NASCAR’s highest ranks. He and his brothers, Steve and Rick, established the racing team in 2004 and Bob is thrilled to see the team’s progression to competing each week in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.